Let’s dive right into the 5 best Salmon fishing tips and techniques for Buoy10 in Astoria, Oregon!
- Best Bait
- Sharp Hooks
- Don’t Bite Chase
- Take Advantage of Peak Times
- Have Confidence
Best Bait For Fishing Salmon at Buoy 10
Having the best bait can mean so many things. The most important detail about bait for this Buoy 10 fishery is freshness.
You may have heard the term “match the hatch!” What this is referring to is using a natural bait that these salmon have been foraging on during their entire existence. When entering the freshwater system of the Columbia River, Buoy 10 salmon will look for familiar baitfish that they are used to feeding on. The majority of their diet has revolved around fresh anchovies and fresh herring. Purchasing freshly caught anchovies and herring from a local bait shop will give you the upper hand when angling for salmon during buoy10 in the Astoria estuary.
Sharp Hooks Are Very Important
Salmon skin is very tough and hardy. Piercing It requires a pristinely sharp point. Factory hooks generally come semi-sharp.
If you want to maximize your ability to catch more salmon it’s vital to sharpen your hooks before and during fishing trips. It’s a fairly simple skill that can be learned quickly. The basic idea is to get a file and take a couple of strokes on the leading edge of the hook to increase the overall sharpness. Maintaining that edge throughout the day can be a small detail that equals a big payoff.
You will find a mixture of freshwater and saltwater in Astoria, Oregon, and the surrounding areas. Exposure to this water and to the other elements can quickly dull a hook of any caliber. Most anglers won’t pay that much attention to this detail.
Stay Patient: Don’t Chase Bites
During this world-class fishery, there will be lots of salmon caught. It’s not uncommon to get bite reports from friends, co-workers, and other acquaintances. Bite reports can be great. They have the potential to be productive and counterproductive at the same time. If you spend enough time fishing Buoy 10 you will fall victim to chasing bite reports. It happens to all of us!
One thing to consider is when you’re chasing bite reports, you’re not fishing. More time driving around to get to a bite equals less time fishing and harvesting fish. Most of the time you will be better served to stick and stay. Likely, the fish you are targeting will snap sooner or later.
Personally, I have found it to be very productive to make a fishing game plan before leaving the dock based on tides, weather, and recent fishing history. Follow your plan and tune out all the rest.
The Best Fishing is at the Break of Dawn
Salmon notoriously bite well in the first hour of daylight!
After that, it’s usually 1 hour before tide change to 1 hour after tide change that you will experience the best bites. It is of the utmost importance that you prepare yourself and focus on executing during these peak times.
This window of opportunity is very small which makes it paramount to catch fish during this portion of the tide. Oftentimes, I witness anglers pausing their fishing to snap pictures showcasing their latest catch.
When you’re catching fish and the bite is at its peak, this is not the time for pictures. This is the time for more focus and more effort to ensure catching the next one.
The best time to book your Buoy 10 Salmon fishing trip is right now!
Be Confident: The Columbia Has Lots of Salmon to Fish!
Having confidence as an angler can be a tricky thing. Mostly it’s an attitude-behavior. Sometimes it can be determined by experience level.
The most important key to success on the water by all fishermen is having confidence and trusting your decisions. It’s very easy to get thrown off when fishing and the first few attempts to do something fail.
Every angler starts second-guessing their own decisions. This is the time where you need to put your big boy pants on and trust the process. Once you lose your confidence, your perspective, and your judgment change, and therefore your ability to “fish loosely” quickly leaves. You will begin forcing decisions and making adjustments which can be devastating for your angling success. No one makes quality decisions when their head is scrambled. Instead, remain calm and collected.
Remind yourself of the reasons that you decided to fish that stretch of water or why you decided to use that tactic. Dig into your experience bank and key in on a time where you had success fishing this Buoy 10 fishery. This should allow you to remain confident and encourage you to make smart necessary decisions.
Learn more about fishing the First Past Outfitters Buoy 10 Salmon fishing charter in Astoria, OR.
